Highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from 0D/2D heterojunction of FeP nanoparticles/CdS nanosheets

In this study, a novel zero-dimensional (0D)/two-dimensional (2D) heterojunction photocatalyst consisting of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanosheets (NSs) decorated with FeP nanoparticles (NPs) was fabricated using an in situ phosphorisation method. 0D FeP NPs were tightly attached to the surfaces of 2D CdS NSs to achieve highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The greatest H-2 production was 1.39 mmol within 5 h, which is 35 times the generation of pristine CdS NSs. Additionally, the fabricated 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst demonstrated excellent stability, and the external quantum efficiency of the optimised photocatalyst was calculated to be 18.63% at 450 nm. The enhancement mechanisms resulting in high activity and stability were investigated using various characterisation techniques, which revealed that the construction of 0D/2D heterojunctions with close interfacial contact between OD FeP NPs and 2D CdS NSs can accelerate photoexcited e(-)-h(+) pairs transfer and separation, thereby enhancing photocatalytic H-2 production performance and stability. This study offers new insights into the design of 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalysts for applications in the field of photocatalysis.